Mild rain and chill throw life out of gear in Delhi
MeT officials say the skies will be partly cloudy and moderate fog would occur on Saturday. Temperatures are likely to hover between 17 & 11 degrees Celsius.
It was a cold and overcast Friday in Delhi along with some rain. The drizzle continued throughout the day, affecting traffic in many parts of the city.
According to the India Meteorological Department, 5.6 mm rainfall was recorded at Safdarjung observatory between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm. Palam recorded 4.7 mm of rainfall. Lodhi Road Centre recorded 5.7 mm rainfall while the Ridge area and Ayanagar recorded 7.7 mm and 3.4 mm rains, respectively, during the same period. Weathermen have predicted partly cloudy sky and rain in some parts of the Capital on Saturday.
On Friday, the maximum temperature in Delhi was 16 degrees Celsius - five notches below the season's average. The minimum temperature rose by 2.2 degrees since Thursday, settling three notches above the season's average, at 10.2 degrees Celsius.
Rains affected 42 trains though flight operations were smooth. Humidity levels oscillated between 98 and 80 per cent. The visibility at 8:30 am was 600 metres which remained around 800 metres for the rest of the day. By 6:30 pm, all fog was cleared even though the sky remained cloudy.
Dr. R.K. Jenamani, director of the meteorological department at IGI Airport, said, "On Saturday, the skies will be partly cloudy. Moderate fog would occur in the morning. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover at 17 and 11 degrees Celsius, respectively".
"Dense fog is unlikely till the night of January 2. It may come back on the morning of JanuJanuary 3-4. But the spell is not likely to last longer than two-three nights as stronger winds will blow the fog away. Our models forecast that fog may be back by the morning of January 5."
Mountainous areas in Garhwal and Kumaon regions have been receiving snowfall which has resulted in rain in the lower reaches as well, meteorological department officials explained.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who has been campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections, had to take a short break from his daily rallies. "Cold weather was turning out to be a major impediment," an AAP party worker said.
Meanwhile, Leh and Kargil towns in Ladakh region recorded the season's coldest night as the cold wave intensified in J&K after a slight respite for few days. The minimum temperature in Leh settled at minus 17.1 degrees Celsius.